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It’s the Connections

In sales, knowledge is important, knowledge of the products, the customer, the industry and more.

The relationships are important too. The trust we build, the breadth and depth of those we know in the organization, and the partnerships we create help us sell.

Together they are powerful. Without them sales won’t happen. Most sales people get this. They work hard to have the knowledge and build the relationships.

The real action however, is in the connections. The connections between the information and the relationships. It’s the connections between the data and the requests. The connections are where the sale happens.

Everyone has access to the same data. Everyone as access to the same people. It’s the connections that represent a sales persons value. Each sales person draws their own conclusions, creating their own connections between the data and the relationship.

Get good at creating powerful connections, it’s what your customers are looking for.

  • Tibor Shanto

    Great point Jim, it is all about the connectin, and connecting on multiple levels to fully engage with the buyer.

    Tibor

  • Arudin

    Hi Jim: I like the idea, but I don't buy it completely. No doubt connections are valuable in selling, and that they're the plumbing that holds social networks together. But the key issue is the context for the connection: every salesperson is challenged to create value–usually measured in revenue. That's seldom achieved through connections floating free in space–they have to be joined to a pain, challenge, problem to be solved, or strategic objective that lacks the tools to accomplish it.

    Taking this thought a step further enables a salesperson to be more discriminating about which connections are valuable. If we pursued every connection we're like five-year-olds on a soccer field, chasing the ball wherever it goes without regard to a setting up plays. When we look at the differences between network connections, we can uncover patterns. For me, the more valuable ones involve revenue generation discussions, best-practice knowledge transfer, and innovation. When salespeople look for where those ideas are flowing, they will most likely find the right context for the best connections to have.

  • http://asalesguy.com Keenan

    Aurdin,

    The connections you're talking about are exactly what I was referring to, you just said it better.

    Thanks